Twiga Stars now reject share from MPs donation

By The guardian reporter

28th January 2012

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TFF secretary general Angetile Osiah

Drama erupted yesterday when national women football team (Twiga Stars) players rejected 100,000/- each which was given to them as their share from the 10m/- donated to them on Thursday by Members of Parliament.

Members of Parliament donated 7m/- cash to Twiga Stars through Tanzania Football Federation (TTF) and promised to donate the remaining 3m/- on another day.

According to some senior players of the team who asked not to be named, the 100,000/- which was given to each one does not match the money which they were supposed to get.

Twiga Stars team manager Furaha Francis confirmed the backward development and said her team’s officials and some senior players are discussing on the matter to find a solution before the day of the game which is tomorrow.

The players said they were surprised that the soccer federation body took 2m/- from the donated 7m/-, claiming that they want to pay food bills which the players accumulated up to the day of the match.

“How can TFF take 2m/- from our money and claim that they want to pay food bills, this is not true. The fact is that we eat and sleep free in our camp which is in the JKT Ruvu military base,” said one of the players.

The players said the development demoralized the camp because it happened only two days before their second leg tie against Namibia. They said this may affect them on the day of the match.

“Even if only 5m/- has remained from the money legislators donated to us, it’s unrealistic that we get 100,000/- each. I think TFF are aware of the financial predicaments we are going through,” she said.

She said TFF could have consulted them before coming up with their decision, adding that other teams value consultations before making decisions.

“Money matters are very sensitive and TFF should have been wise enough to consult us before making their decisions. Some of us we are breadwinners back home,” she said.

TFF secretary general Angetile Osiah confirmed that his association took 2m/- but the money was meant to pay the bills which the players and officials have been accumulating for the past 5 days at an eating place in the city.